GREENVILLE - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court
on August 12, 2011, JOHNNIE WAYNE DAVENPORT, 42, pled guilty before
United State Magistrate Judge David W. Daniel to receipt of child
pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section
2252(a)(2).

According to the Criminal Indictment returned on May 24, 2011, DAVENPORT received
an image depicting child pornography on December 31, 2009. According to the investigation, in
2009, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security
Investigations (HSI) office in Wilmington, North Carolina, received information from their sister
office in Jackson, Mississippi, that information had been received that DAVENPORT was utilizing
Google Hello and Yahoo Messenger to exchange photographs depicting minors in sexually explicit
conduct. In July, 2010, a search warrant was executed at DAVENPORT’s residence in Plymouth,
North Carolina. During the search, agents seized a desktop computer, an external hard drive and 35
recordable CD’s. Forensic analysis performed later on the seized equipment revealed the computer
contained 99 pictures of child pornography and 37 images on the external hard drive.

At sentencing, set for the November 8, 2011, term of court, DAVENPORT faces up to 20
years’ imprisonment. However, if he has prior convictions relating to sexual abuse or sexual conduct
involving a minor, he faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment.

This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national
program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are
effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law
enforcement resources at every level. For more information about
this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to
www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security
Investigations offices in Jackson, Mississippi and Wilmington,
North Carolina and the North Carolina State Bureau of
Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes is
serving as prosecutor for the government.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at
www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.

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